Andrew Bird Live on KCRW – Danse Caribe

When I walked up to the studio yesterday during soundcheck, it sounded like there was a whole orchestra rehearsing. But it was just multi-instrumentalist Andrew Bird and 3 bandmates. It’s amazing the array of sounds they are able to create, led by Andrew (and his whistling and beautiful violin playing).

Andrew comes across as a very thoughtful man and, according to his interview with Jason, he thinks up new ideas for melodies every day, and lyrics “a little less often”. They also talked about how his new album “Break it Yourself” has been called his most “accessible” yet, which he disputes as an overall categorization, saying there is a “healthy amount of weirdness on there” with “lots of wild solos next to accessible songwriting”.

Whatever it is, we love it.

And he treated us to a bunch of new songs as well as two covers — “Goin Home” by Charley Patton and “So Much Wine” by The Handsome Family, a song they sang in “old timey” formation around one microphone. Check out the session here.

Andrew Bird Live on KCRW Set List

Danse Caribe

Orpheo Looks Back

EyeonEye

Give it Away

So Much Wine

Fatal Shore

Goin’ Home